Former NLRB member joins Ogletree Deakins

A former member of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is joining a prominent labor and employment law firm.

Ogletree Deakins announced yesterday that ex-NLRB member Brian Hayes, whose term ended last month, will join the firm as a shareholder. He will be based in the firm’s Washington, D.C., office and will serve as co-chair of the firm’s traditional labor relations practice group.

In a press release, Hayes said he was “very excited to join Ogletree Deakins. This is a very dynamic time in the traditional labor law arena. The NLRB’s rulings have created many challenges for employers in recent years. While I will miss my days as a policymaker, I look forward to returning to the practice of law and helping employers manage these risks—and those that are likely to come from the NLRB in the future.”

President Obama appointed Hayes to the NLRB in June 2010, and the Senate confirmed his appointment shortly afterward. During his time as an NLRB board member, Hayes often voiced support for employers. He dissented in several landmark cases and took pro-management standpoints in high-profile issues such as social media in the workplace, notice posting, narrow bargaining unions and post-contract deduction of union dues. At the time his term ended, Hayes was the only republican NLRB board member.